Probiotics with vitamin C for the prevention of upper respiratory tract symptoms in children aged 3-10 years: randomised controlled trial.

In a double-blind, randomised, parallel-group, placebo-controlled study, healthy school children aged 3-10 years received a probiotic based supplement daily for 6 months to assess the impact on the incidence and duration of upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) symptoms. The intervention comprised Lab4 probiotic (Lactobacillus acidophilus CUL21 and CUL60, Bifidobacterium bifidum CUL20 and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis CUL34) at 12.5 billion cfu/day plus 50 mg vitamin C or a matching placebo. 171 children were included in the analysis (85 in placebo and 86 in active group). Incidence of coughing was 16% (P=0.0300) significantly lower in the children receiving the active intervention compared to the placebo. No significant differences in the incidence rate of other URTI symptoms were observed. There was significantly lower risk of experiencing five different URTI related symptoms in one day favouring the active group (Risk ratio: 0.31, 95% confidence interval: 0.12, 0.81, P=0.0163). Absenteeism from school and the use of antibiotics was also significantly reduced for those in the active group (-16%, P=0.0060 and -27%, P=0.0203, respectively). Our findings indicate that six months daily supplementation with the Lab4 probiotic and vitamin C combination reduces the incidence of coughing, absenteeism and antibiotic usage in 3 to 10 year old children.

A randomised controlled study shows supplementation of overweight and obese adults with lactobacilli and bifidobacteria reduces bodyweight and improves well-being.

In an exploratory, block-randomised, parallel, double-blind, single-centre, placebo-controlled superiority study (ISRCTN12562026, funded by Cultech Ltd), 220 Bulgarian participants (30 to 65 years old) with BMI 25-34.9 kg/m2 received Lab4P probiotic (50 billion/day) or a matched placebo for 6 months. Participants maintained their normal diet and lifestyle. Primary outcomes were changes in body weight, BMI, waist circumference (WC), waist-to-height ratio (WtHR), blood pressure and plasma lipids. Secondary outcomes were changes in plasma C-reactive protein (CRP), the diversity of the faecal microbiota, quality of life (QoL) assessments and the incidence of upper respiratory tract infection (URTI). Significant between group decreases in body weight (1.3 kg, p < 0.0001), BMI (0.045 kg/m2, p < 0.0001), WC (0.94 cm, p < 0.0001) and WtHR (0.006, p < 0.0001) were in favour of the probiotic. Stratification identified greater body weight reductions in overweight subjects (1.88%, p < 0.0001) and in females (1.62%, p = 0.0005). Greatest weight losses were among probiotic hypercholesterolaemic participants (-2.5%, p < 0.0001) alongside a significant between group reduction in small dense LDL-cholesterol (0.2 mmol/L, p = 0.0241). Improvements in QoL and the incidence rate ratio of URTI (0.60, p < 0.0001) were recorded for the probiotic group. No adverse events were recorded. Six months supplementation with Lab4P probiotic resulted in significant weight reduction and improved small dense low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (sdLDL-C) profiles, QoL and URTI incidence outcomes in overweight/obese individuals.

Effect of natural polyphenols on thromboxane levels in children with Crohn's disease.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between thromboxane levels and oxidative stress in children with Crohn´s disease (CD), and examine the effect of natural polyphenolic compounds on thromboxane levels. METHODS: This study involved 14 children suffering from CD and 15 healthy controls. Patients were receiving the polyphenolic extract Pycnogenol for 10 weeks. Plasma levels of the static and dynamic forms of thromboxane B2 as well as their metabolite 11-dehydro thromboxane B2 in urine were determined. RESULTS: In comparison to controls, CD patients had significantly higher levels of the static and dynamic forms of thromboxane B2. Pycnogenol decreased the level of the dynamic form of thromboxane B2 after 10 weeks of administration. CONCLUSIONS: Paediatric Crohn's disease is associated with higher thromboxane levels. Our results indicate that Pycnogenol administration reduces thromboxane levels, which may positively influence some clinical symptoms of CD such as thromboembolic episodes (Tab. 3, Ref. 49).

Role of oxidative stress, adiponectin and endoglin in the pathophysiology of erectile dysfunction in diabetic and non-diabetic men.

Erectile dysfunction (ED) and diabetes mellitus (DM) share common pathophysiological risk factors including endothelial dysfunction which together with hyperglycemia contribute to the increased oxidative/glycooxidative stress. A reduced NO concentration is insufficient for relaxation processes in the penis. Chronic inflammation and endoglin are involved in the regulation of endothelial function. Adiponectin from the adipose tissue has anti-inflammatory effects. Our study aimed to investigate the relation between erectile function in patients with and without DM and the oxidative stress, hormone adiponectin, and endothelial dysfunction marker endoglin. Men (n=32) with ED evaluated by the International Index of Erectile function (IIEF-5) questionnaire (17 without DM (NDM); 15 with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM)) and 31 controls were included. Advanced glycation end products (AGEs), 8-isoprostanes (8-isoP), protein carbonyls, antioxidant capacity, adiponectin and endoglin were determined in the blood. DM patients compared to NDM patients and controls, had increased levels of glucose, C-reactive protein, triacylglycerols, 8-isoP, AGEs, endoglin and BMI. IIEF-5 score, NO and adiponectin levels were decreased. We are the first to find out that endoglin shows a negative correlation with erectile function in NDM, but not in DM patients. Endoglin can be considered as endothelial dysfunction marker in nondiabetic men suffering from ED.

Effect of natural polyphenols (Pycnogenol) on oxidative stress markers in children suffering from Crohn's disease--a pilot study.

Crohn's disease (CD) is a nonspecific, chronic inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal tract. It is supposed that in etiopathogenesis oxidative stress (OS) plays a role. However, its precise role in the active and non-active states of disease is not known yet. We conducted a pilot study focusing on the relationship between OS of CD in remission and the possibility to influence clinical parameters and markers of OS by polyphenolic extract, Pycnogenol® (Pyc). Compared to 15 healthy controls 15 pediatric CD patients (all were in remission according to their disease activity index - PCDAI) had reduced the activity of Cu/Zn-superoxide dismutase (SOD) and increased the oxidative damage to proteins. We found negative correlations between markers of inflammation (calprotectin, CRP) as well as between PCDAI and total antioxidant capacity (TAC). Activities of antioxidant enzymes, SOD, and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) negatively correlated with calprotectin and PCDAI. Pyc (2 mg/kg) positively influenced the parameters of OS in CD patients after 10 weeks of administration.

How does pycnogenol® influence oxidative damage to DNA and its repair ability in elderly people?

Our purpose in this randomized, double blind, placebo controlled study was to find out the possible effect of a polyphenolic pine bark extract, Pycnogenol® (Pyc) on the level of 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanine (8-oxoG) as representative of oxidative damage to DNA and on the DNA repair ability of elderly people. According to our results, three months of Pyc administration had no effect on the level of oxidative damage to DNA or on repair ability, but we found a relationship between the level of 8-oxoG and repair ability of DNA in this group. To conclude, even if the positive effect of Pyc was not confirmed in the case of elderly people it is important to highlight the necessity of further investigations about the mechanisms of Pyc acting on different age groups.

Fecal calprotectin as a promising marker of inflammatory diseases.

BACKGROUND: Calprotectin is a calcium binding protein present predominantly in neutrophils with antimicrobial and antiprolipherative activities. Calprotectin concentration is higher in feces than in plasma and significantly increased levels of fecal calprotectin (FC) were found in patients with bowel inflammation disease (IBD). METHODS: Nineteen out-patients with IBD, comprising 14 Crohn's disease (CD) individuals and 5 ulcerative colitis (UC) patients, and 5 healthy volunteers were investigated. Fecal calprotectin was analyzed by ELISA. RESULTS: We found that patients with IBD had significantly higher concentration of FC than in healthy children (FC median 1076.7 vs 19.5 microg/g of stool, p = 0.0053). We determined higher level of FC in patients with CD than in UC (1132.4 vs 490.98 microg/g of stool), but not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: It has been proved that FC represents a surrogate marker of neutrophils influx into the bowel lumen; hence it can be regarded as a simple and non-invasive marker of intestinal inflammation (Tab. 2, Fig. 1, Ref. 38). Full Text (Free, PDF) www.bmj.sk.